Encryption to Cyber Bullying

The most pervasive cyber threat in the past 11 years has been ransomware infections.
Who would have even known about something like this 30 years ago, but
here we are trying with all diligence to protect folders and files, or even worse, the
entire hard drive.

While ransomware is not new, the idea of holding someone’s computer hostage, or
for ransom, is, I believe, akin to corporate terrorism. Even today it boggles the mind that
people can get away with this kind of behavior, forcing a victim to pay ransom to unlock
their computer.

The networked world is a complex domain. Nothing more than what social media
plays in the lives of young people. The downside is cyberbullying.

Millennials and Gen Z are most generally the intended targets; 71 percent of this generation
is concerned about cyberbullying. Instagram and Snapchat are the most popular
sites for young people, and the platforms where cyberbullying occur more often than not
are texting, 24 percent on Facebook, 23 percent on Instagram and 21 percent on Twitter.

While we typically think about network security in terms of security
cameras, for instance, cyberbullying is an extremely serious
problem. Young people are keenly aware of the threats and have
started to post less and less information. Sorry to say, statistics
reveal that as many as 38 percent of people have been victims of
cyberbullying, and young women are likely to be targeted, with embarrassing
and unwanted contact.

Young people should feel comfortable asking for help,
and survey results indicate that only 15 percent of young
people would keep cyberbullying a secret. Family and
friends should be secure and trustworthy confidants.
Network security, I would hope, would be able to discern
who the violators are, and cut them off.

This article originally appeared in the August 2017 issue of Security Today.